Turning inwards: A guide to mindfulness

What is mindfulness and why should you care?

I’m sure most of us have heard of the term ‘Mindfulness’. It’s something that’s been practiced for centuries in the east but has recently captured the attention of the western world. When I say the term ‘mindfulness’, some of us might have the image of a monk sitting by the river with his legs crossed and eyes closed, entrenched in a deep calm state of mind. Even though the term ‘mindfulness’ might sound peace inducing, it’s actually a lot more than that.

A pioneer in the field of mindfulness-based interventions, Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines mindfulness as a skill that is “cultivated by paying close attention to your moment-to-moment experience, as best as you can, while not getting caught up in your ideas and opinions, likes and dislikes”. So basically, we can practice mindfulness with our eyes open. Being mindful means being present. It’s the ability to slow down and observe the events that unfold around us and within our body, without judgement. It is a shift from the autopilot mode of functioning (i.e., mindlessness) to a ‘being mode’ where we are aware of ourselves and therefore, can take actions that are value driven.

Often when we are in distress, our rational mind switches off, and we are driven by our intense emotions (i.e., anger, frustration, sadness). In such instances it can be quite difficult to make healthy and valued decisions. In moment like these, and in general in life, being mindful can help us become aware of our emotions, thoughts, actions, sensations, opinions. It’s important to note that while being mindful, we are not altering these intense experiences, we are simply noticing and living them. Once we have a clearer and judgement free understanding of what’s happening within and around us, we can make healthy and meaningful choices. There is ample research supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in improving psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, emotional distress, and so on.

 How to practice mindfulness?

One quick and easy way to practice mindfulness is by paying attention to our five senses, after all it is through these senses that we live and experience the world. Start by paying attention to five things that you can see around you. This could be a wall, the sky, a coffee mug, a window, etc. Then pay attention to five things you can hear, such as the sound of birds chirping, the sound of construction happening next door, and so on. Similarly pay attention to five things you can taste, touch, and smell. Soon you will realize that you are no longer in your head, but present, and mindful. Remember, it’s not a skill that you can learn overnight, it’s a skill that builds with practice and time.

Preeti Phartiyal

Psychologist

Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008

Harris, R. (2009). ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion.

Writing and better mental health

Writing about emotional experiences has shown to:

• Be as effective as talking to a "therapist" (Donnelly & Murray, 1991; Murray, Lamnin, & Carver, 1989)

• Reduce the need to see a Doctor (Pennebaker, & Beall, 1986)

• Reduce chronic pain symptoms (Sarno, 2011)

• Improve academic performance (Cameron & Nicholls (1996); Krantz & Pennebaker(1996)

• Increase redeployment after redundancy from work (Spera, Buhrfeind, & Pennebaker, 1994)

• Reduce employee absenteeism (Francis & Pennebaker, 1992)

• Reduce distress, negative affect, or depression (Greenberg & Stone, 1992; Murray & Segal, 1994

Emotional Writing is NOT Journalling or Diary writing

So those of you reading this, thinking "there is no way I am starting a diary" can breathe. This is quite different to that.

I have found this practice profound personally and with clients. It can help you unpack problems, turn of your reactive brain and turn on your smart brain (some might call this emotional intelligence) and basically get "unstuck" and therefore get more done!

This practice has also been helpful for those with chronic pain. The theory is that emotional writing can relax the nervous system which in turn reduces inflammation (inflammation causes pain and can lead to infection). Calming the nervous systems also allows us to me more logical when dealing with difficult situations, and people!

Like to try it?

There is some evidence that suggests writing for just 4 consecutive days for 20 minutes can produce some of the above effects, while others have argued that writing once a week over 4 weeks is equally effective.

I would encourage you to discuss this technique with your counsellor or therapist before you commence.

Writing Instructions:

• Pick a topic or issue that is causing you stress.

• Write for 15-20 minutes about this experience.

• If at any point you start to feel overwhelmed please stop, and discuss with your therapist. You may like to come back to it another time and perhaps select a different memory or experience. Self-care very important here.

• Write for yourself only. This is not something you reflect on years later like a diary. You may wish to share it with your therapist, however in most cases people receive more healing by deleting the document, or throwing it in the bin. There is actually something quite cleansing when I do this too!

If you would like to do a deeper dive on this topic check out this book by one of the key researchers James Pennebaker and his co-author James Evans.

I hope you get value from this technique,

Margie Ireland

Psychologist (MAPS)